24TH
July, 2012 will forever be a black Tuesday in the minds and lives of every
Ghanaian. Whether, that fellow is living in Ghana or the Diaspora. Many of us
who were in Ghana were just enjoying our unprecedented “winter” weather which
we have never experienced in our country. The clouds had covered the sun and
the temperature was lower than the 31/33 degrees Celsius we Ghanaians are used
to. On my Twitter timeline, all I could see was “the weather has brought itself”
and “#sexual” tweets all over (Perverts all over my TL smh lol). For some Ghanaians,
who complained about the consistent blazing of the sun from January throughout
the year with the exception of June, July and parts of August which was our
rainy season which some of us prefer to call our own winter was our only escape
from the constant Tropical weather we suffered throughout the year.
I was with a
friend when the news broke out. I saw it first on X FM’s facebook page but
I just ignored it and refused to believe it since X FM on two occasions in
the past, through their facebook page released information to the public which
wasn’t credible. First, they said The President was dead in January, 2012 (I
think) which was false and in February or March, 2012 they also said petroleum
prices were going to go up an astonishing 45% which were all lies. I also
realized on Sunday’s they had this political talk show that lambasted the NDC
led government, so for me I just assumed it was one of their ways to derail the
ruling government for me anything X FM says through their facebook
page I simply don’t believe it.
However,
this time, X FM was right and true about what they were reporting. It took
less than 3 minutes for the tv stations and the International Media to start
reporting about the sad event. As for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC),
the national broadcaster, hmmmmm. Their management should be replaced. Whiles
their competitors were reporting about the death of the president they were
busy showing “AGYA KOO AZONTO”. As for
GBC,
I’ve given up on them.
The moment
when I heard about President Mills demise, I just prayed he would make an
appearance on TV, crack a few jokes and say he is not dead as he has done to
rebuff the previous allegations that surfaced earlier in the year and probably
trot a bit as he did at KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT when he
returned from the States for his check up.
President
Mills was born on the 21st of July. 1944 in Tarkwa, Western Region, Ghana.
President Mills was a civil Servant, politician, a legal scholar and a tax
expert, who rose through the ranks and became the flag bearer of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC). He was the President of Ghana from 2009 until his
death in 2012. He was inaugurated on 7th January 2009 having defeated
the ruling party’s candidate Nana Akuffo – Addo in the 2008 election. He lost
the national elections twice before finally being elected the national
Elections on his third try (third time lucky??) thanks to the TAIN CONSTITUENCY.
President Mills had his primary and
middle education at Huni Valley Methodist Primary School & Komenda Methodist Middle School
respectively. He then proceeded to Achimota School where he completed
his ‘O’-Level and ‘A’-level Certificates in 1961 and 1963 respectively and the University
Of Ghana, Legon where he completed a bachelor of law degree, LLB and a
professional law certificate in 1967. For more information about him google him
:-P hahahahaha.
A tax lawyer, an associate lecturer, a strong HEARTS OF OAK fan &
former board member, a father, a husband and a father to all. The “Asomdwehene”
(meaning King of Peace, for my non Ghanaians and Asomdwehene is from the Akan
language) was your typical Fante, funny with their amazing
sense of humour. Intelligent, determined and his biggest asset was his
humility. These are the basic attributes every Ghanaian can pin point to
President Mills.
My brothers and sisters was his ever
usual opening remarks at most functions he attended. President Mills knew how
to turn a very embarrassing situation and make it work in his favour by
creating/cracking a joke about the situation at hand. Most notably was his
first state of the nation address in 2010 at the Parliament house. He had an
embarrassing moment trying to pronounce the word “economy” and made a mess a
pronounced “enocomy” & “ecomnomy” which drew huge jeers and laughter from
the parliament house and those of us who watched at home or wherever we were at
that particular moment. Sensing ”yawa”
he quickly turned the tables by creating the infamous “opipipiiipiiiii”
statement which made everybody everywhere in Ghana burst out in uncontrollable
laughter.
He managed
to achieve a similar feat at another state of the nation address when the whole
Woyome saga had just erupted. After his usual state of the nation address, he
passed this comment “Madam Speaker, I knew before I got here that I would be
heckled but I didn’t expect it to be this gargantuan” and immediately after
this comment the minority in parliament who were booing him (which I honestly
found very sad and lacking respecting for the 1st gentleman of the
land) immediately started laughing. I remember I was watching that state of the
nation address with my dad at home and we all just burst out laughing after
hearing that.
Other
hilarious quotes such as “look at my eyes, do I look like a cat hunter” at the "meet the editors" meeting at the castle and his
comments about letting Honorable E T Mensah teach the Black stars players how
to take penalty kicks after Asamoah Gyan and the rest of the black stars team
members were knocked out of the Fifa World cup at South Africa in 2010 on
penalties and many other statements have stood out to be the Presidents’ forte
(look for the French looking e with the apostrophe to make the forté sound like
forte) when it comes to him and his sense of humour.
President John Evans Fiifi Atta
Mills who came under immense pressure, criticism and a host of insults during
his tenure as President would always come out and say whoever insulted him
didn’t mean to insult him be it the former President J J Rawlings (who was one
of his biggest critics) as always cool, calm and collected and would never
reply or utter a word of insult back to whoever attacked him showing his
leadership qualities as a result of that eventually earned him the title “Asomdwehene”.
He always sought to unify his people and spread the message of peace to
everyone.
The president who gave up the fight
and left us on that black Tuesday 24th July, 2012, showed each and
every Ghanaian who and what we are, GHANAIANS. Ghana on that day was at a
standstill whiles we mourned our President. For the first time in years,
besides the solar eclipse, the black stars, black queens or any of the national
football teams, a Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko
or Joshua “Banku & kaw3” Clottey fight. I have never seen Ghanaians
everywhere united as on that day and the days that followed until the day the
Prof was laid to rest. The days that followed was just sheer beauty,
togetherness & a spirit of patriotism. As we all mourned our beloved
president. The queue in front of the parliament house for 3 days just to file
past the remains of the president blew me away. People from as far Wa travelled
all the way to Accra just pay their last respects and that showed Patriotism
for me.
On the day the Prof was laid to rest I
felt proud to be Ghanaian (F.Y.I. I’ve always been proud to be Ghanaian). The
way and manner in which Ghanaians came out and filled up the streets just to
show support was just impressive and very touching. I guess that shows your
good deeds live after you are long gone.
President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills,
will forever be loved, respected and adored by Ghanaians and non Ghanaians the
world over for his humility, sense of humour, patriotism, sense of duty to his
beloved Ghana, his leadership quality, his dedication, determination, hard work
and his fear of God.
President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills,
Prof, Asomdwehene, damirifa due, rest in peace and may
your life and legacy be a source of inspiration to this generation and the
generation after. (look for ways of saying rest in peace in local dialects)
REST IN PEACE
